Tent



I 2 Sheets-l-Sheet l l c. w. ADAMS Dec;` 29, 1931.

TENT

Filed sept. 11,- 1928 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 29, 1931. c. w. ADAMS TENT Filed Sept. ll,

Patented Dec. 29, 1931 V.UNI'IIED "STA-TES* PATENT oFFlc :A f

CHRLES W.v ADAMS, OF LOS, ANGELES, CALIFORNIA TENT f The present inventionrelates generally` to tents and theplilre, and `is pzuticularlyiV concerned with a supporting structure whereby such protective coverings, irrespective ofsize, may be supported externally with complete disposal of poles, guys or the like therebeneath, to leave the covered ground space clear.

Y In considering the invention applied to a circus tent, the advantage of having the `tent interior freefrom vsupporting. poles is particularly great, `for acts and properties may then be arranged 'at desired locationswithout regard to theusual restrictions imposed by the positions of the poles` Furthermore, adf ditional seating capacity. is thus. provided and anunobstructed viewof theA entire 1nlterior of the tentlmaybe had from any location therein. Y p also may be applied with advantage `to the supporting of substantially horizontally ex'- tending canopies irrespec'tiveof size. Such canopies may belarge enough to beused over ball parks or other areas of considerable eX tent. Following :my-invention these canof pies are supported from poles aroundtheir outer edges, and `in such manner that-'provision may be made for 'pulling the canopies to one end of the field or normally protected.

area when not in use. Y y g r l As appliedA to tents,fthepolesfare arranged around the outside` thereof, and are securely guyed,the tent canvas being supportedfrom the poles in such a manner` that the essential rigidity of structure is maintainedand theV tent insured against blow downs. y Additional advantages of the inventionwill be most readilyV understood from the following` description of typical embodiments thereof, reference being made throughout the description to the accompanying 'drawings infvvhich Figure 1 is a perspective view of a y circus tent embodying my invention; Y

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the tent; i' @1" y Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing a preferred means of connecting the side pick-up lines to the teint'` canvas ;V

Figglis an enlarged fragmentary section showing a preferredV means of` joining one of The present supporting'means Applicationv filed September 11, 1928. Serial No. 305,226`

the tent peaks with a center pick-upline through the use of a bail ring; y 1

nFig. 5 is an enlarged oerspective View of a bailring supporting `block clamped to a cross suyafand i1 Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic perspective illustration of the application off the invention to a horizontally extending canopy. A' yReferring particularly to Figure 1, the tent canvas is seen to embody .two semi-circular endsections E, andniddle sections M, of which there may be any number accordingly tothe length of tent desired, two being here shown -forf purposes of illustration." Y The sections are laced together along the lines indicated by numeral 10. In order to strengthen and support'the canvas, a net work of rope is `provided upon which the canvas rests and to `whichit is intimately fastened. The net work is seen` to vcomprise a series of horizontally extending band ropes 11,encircling the tent',

from the outer edges of the canvas'to the top of the tent.

.A plurality of l:main poles 13fis erected around they tent preferably -in yopposite relationship on eachfside ofthe tent. Footing for the poles is provided by means of mud blocks 14 which reston. the surface of the ground. The main polesare'guyed jin four directions by means of main guys 15 extending outwardly and downwardlyl'from the crownrings 16 of each pole to anchors embedded'in the ground at 17, side guys 18 joined 'to thecrown rings and connecting the poles in series, and cross guys19 which interconnect pairs of"oppositelyidisposed poles cross guys 19 may be connected directly Vto thecrown rings, as shownin Fig. 2, and tightened, for instance by turn-buckles 19a, or by anyother suitable means for pullingthecross Vguys taut between the main polesl.

From the foregoing it will be seenfthat the main oles are seourel )Gu edto `form a rigid supporting structure.

and a plurality of rafter ropes 12 extending such as illustrated in Figl at Pand P. The

' shown,

structure the center pick-ups arev joined.

to the peaks 22 and ext-.end through blocks 26,

suspended centrally from cross guys 19,:v

through blocks 27 supported by one of the crown rings 16 to which the supportingcross guys are attached, and downward to cleats 28 where they are tied securely to the posts. The side pickup` lines 29 and 30 preferably are joined to the canvas at points 23 and 24, respectively, at spaced intervals 'along band ropes 11, any two points of connection on one side ofthe tent preferably being out of line with respect to rafter ropes 12. It is to be understood that pick-ups may be applied to the canvas at points other than those the illustrated arrangement being typical only. Lines 29 and 30 pass through blocks 27, which in the present instance necessarily contain a number of'sheave wheels, and extend downward to cleats 32 where they are tied.

Y In Fig. 3 I have shown a typical means for connecting the side pick-up. lines 29 and 30 to the canvas.v An eye-bolt 33 extends through an opening formed by lappingV the canvas around a ring 33a and through a plate 34, the

eye bolt nut 35 bearing against the lower face of the plate. The looped endof the pick-up line is joined to eye bolt 33 by means of hook 36, as shown. The center pick-up lines 25 are similarly joined to a hook 36a which projects through upper looped ends of bails 37a extending upwardly from bail ring 37 around which the canvas is lapped. Blocks 26 may be suspended from cross guys 19 by means of clamps 38 as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

Erected beneath the outermost edges of the tent is a series of side poles 40 guyed by means of lines 41 staked to the ground at 42. The stretches of canvas between side posts are also held by tent guys 43,4 preferably stakedin line with the side pole guys 41. I have provided additional means for securely anchoring the tent to the ground by joining guys 41 and 43 at the ground, or their points ofconnection with the stakes 42, with a main ground line 45, surrounding the tent on the side guy stake line. Transverse ground lines 46 are placed on top of line 45, under mud blocks 14 of transverse pairs of poles suoli as P and P, and are'fastened at their ends to the main guy anchors 17. It will be seen that by virtue of this construction, forces tending to pull upward on guys 41 and 43 are trans y Y mitted through cable to the main poles and guys 15, and to anchors 17.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a top portion of a flat canopy structure suitable for use over ball parks or the like, and which is supported in a manner essentially similar to the structure of Fig. 1. The canvas is seen to be made up of middle sections M and an end section E",.andl the whole surrounded by main poles 13a, each guyed` in four directions by means of main guys 15a, side guys 18a and cross guys19b. Side poles40a and side guys 41a are provided as in the previously described structure. The several pick-up lines 50, are individually attached to the tent at suitably spaced.. points.; 5l and extend through blocks 52,y suspended from cross guys 19?), and through blocks 53 suspended from the crown rings of the main poles. The ends of the pick-up ropes` are anchored to suitable means on the posts as in the previously described instance.

In a canopy of the type shown in Fig. 6, is may be desirable to support the canvas along ridge lines 55, to depress the canvas to form troughs at, 56, and to slope the entire canopy toward one end of the structure to permit water to drain readily from the top. I have shown typical means for pulling the canopy to one end of the supporting structure, in the form of longitudinally arranged lines 60, extending beneath the canopy along ridges 55, and extending through pulleys 61, suspended, from the horizontal cables 62 of poles 63, and downward to the ground; By attaching the lines to the canopy at either end thereof, as at 64 or 65 according to the direction in which the canopy is to be moved, and disconnecting the pick-up lines 50 at 51, the canopy may be collapsed to either end of the supporting structure by pulling the downwardly extending portions of lines 60.

In view of the numerous forms of tents and canopies to which the present type of supporting structure may apply, it will be undern stood the drawings and description are to be considered merely as illustrative of and not restrictive on the broader claims appended hereto for various changes in design, structure and arrangement may be had without departing from the spirit vand scope of said claims.

I claim:

1. In a structure of the character described, a tent canopy, a plurality of poles erected at spaced intervalsA about the outside of said canopy, and a pick-up line supported from each post and attached to the upper surface of the canopy to support the latter from above.

embodying a plurality of poleshaving main guys extending outwardly therefrom to ground anchors, side guys joining the poles in series at their upper ends, a cross guy interconnecting the upper ends of a pair of poles arranged on opposite sides of the canopy, and a pick-up line joined to said canopy and verticallysupported from said cross guy.

4.-. In a structure of the character described having a tent canopy,supporting means embodying a plurality of poles having main guys extending outwardly therefrom to ground anchors, side guys joining the poles in series at their upper ends, a cross guy interconnecting the upper ends of a pair of poles arranged on opposite sides of the canopy, a pick-up line joined to said canopy and vertically supported from said cross guy, and a pluraiity of pick-up lines supported at the upper end of each post and attached to said canopy at spaced points thereon.

5. In a structure of the character described having a tent canopy, a plurality of poles erected at spaced intervals along the outside of said canopy and having a cross guy interconnecting the upper ends of a pair of poles disposed on opposite sides vof the canopy, a plurality of pick-up lines attached to said canopy at spaced points thereon and extending upward through blocks mounted on the upper ends of said poles and downward to suitable anchor means on the poles, and a pick-up line attached to the canopy and extending upwardly and through a block suspended centrally from said cross guy, horizontally across to a guy supporting pole, and downward through a block mounted on the pole to suitable anchor means.

6. In a structure of the character described having a canopy, a plurality of tent guys joined kto the edges of said canopy and anchored to the ground around the. canopy, a main ground line connecting in series the ground ends of said tent guys, a pair of supporting poles arranged on opposite sides of said canopy and each adapted to rest onsaid main ground line, said poles each having an outwardly extending main guy joined to Va ground anchor in line with the poles, and a tranverse ground line connected to said anchors and extending beneaththe poles and on top of said main ground line.

7. In a structure of th-e character described, a tent canopy, a pair of polesY disposed at opposite sides of said canopy, a cable extending above said canopy and interconnecting said poles at their upper ends, and a'piclnp line connected to the upper surface of said canopy at a point intermediate the sidesthere,

of and extending vertically to a connection with said cable,` said pick-up line serving as a direct vertical support for said canopy.

8. In a structure of the character described,

a substantially single piece tent canopy, aV

paiizof poles disposed at opposite sides of said Y canopy, a cable above said canopy and interconnecting said poles at their 'upper ends, means for supporting saidcanopy from said Y cable' at one point therealong, and means, in-

dependent of he Viirst mentioned means, 'for supporting said canopy fromits upper surface at a second point between the first men# tioned supporting means and oneV of said poles, said canopy forming a trough extendinghorizontally and traiisversely.` to saidv cable between said points at which the canopy is supported.

9. In a structure of the character described, a substantially single piece tent canopy, a pair of poles disposed at opposite sides 'of said canopy,`a cable above said canopy and interconnecting said poles at their upper ends1 Vmeans for supporting said canopy from said cable at onepoint therealong, and means for supporting said canopy from said cable at a second point between the first mentioned supporting means and one of said poles, said canopy forming a trough extending horizontally and transversely to said cable betweenl said points at which the canopy is supported.

10. In a structure of the character described, a substantially single piece tent canopy, a pair of poles disposed at opposite sides of said canopy, a cable above said canopy and interconnecting said poles attheirv upper l ends, means for supporting said canopy from Y said cable atone point theiealong, means, in-4 dependent of the iirst mentioned means, for

Y supporting said canopy from its uppersur- 11. In a structure of 4the character described, a substantially single piece tent can' opy, a pair of poles disposed at opposite sides of said canopy, a cable above said canopy and interconnecting said poles at their upper ends, means for supporting said canopy from said cable at one point therealong, means for supporting said canopy froml said cable at a second point between the irst mentioned Asupporting means and one of said poles, said canopy forming a trough extending horizontally and transversely to said cable between said points at which the canopy is supported and means for collapsing said canopy horiM zontal'ly-rom above the area normally covered thereby.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 25th day 

